


Puzzle Pieces

by philsheaven



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, M/M, Phan - Freeform, Phan AU, Phanfiction, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-15
Updated: 2018-11-15
Packaged: 2019-08-24 06:06:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,747
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16634396
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/philsheaven/pseuds/philsheaven
Summary: Dan Howell lives in a world where when you are born you receive a necklace with a charm that’s half of a shape. Your soulmate has the other half.  In a society perplexed by the idea of letting things occur naturally, Dan struggles to move at his own pace.  Good thing he has his internet friend, Phil, to help him through it all.





	1. Chapter 1

As far back as Dan could remember, he was always being told about the necklace hanging around his neck. Everyone had one, a unique shape on a thin chain. The science of it wasn’t too clear; all anyone really knew was that everyone was born clinging to a stone (which was modified on-site into a wearable pendant) that would lead them to their soulmate. The stone itself wasn’t a full shape, but a fragment of one. A person’s soulmate, or soulmates, would have the matching stone or stones to make a complete symbol exclusive to the soul bond. Dan’s parents’ charm was a dove. As with most soul bonds, the shape reflected a core part of both of their personalities. Dan knew he was immensely lucky to have such loving parents with peaceful demeanors and wholesome attitudes towards everything they did; anyone who doubted the system needed only to look at the Howell family to see how a soulmate is really a person’s perfect match.

One of the amazing things about Dan’s parents was that they never pushed him to go and find his soulmate. He remembered how in primary school, his peers would miss weeks of class to fly across the world, tensely waiting for any slightest feeling of the pendant growing warmer to show that they were getting closer to their soulmate. Soulmates were better than any band, hotter than any trend, and more desired for cute Insta posts than teacup pigs in sweaters. Someone could walk down the street in a coat of literal gold and embellished with diamonds so pure that Jesus would be afraid to taint them with his touch, but if there was no soulmate by their side, they would get nothing but looks of pity. To society, soulmates were top priority. Between what became dubbed as ‘soul trips’ and the online sites where people all over the world could upload photos of their charm, it was nearly unheard of for someone to have not found their soulmate by their 18th birthday, at the latest.

It was his 18th birthday, and Dan had yet to find his soulmate.

It wasn’t like he didn’t want to find them or anything. Everywhere he went he hoped for his charm to grow warmer, or, dare he even hope, start glowing. So far, it hadn’t. He didn’t want to spend thousands of pounds embarking on any major life journey just yet, though, and didn’t want to spoil the journey by having some site do all the hard work. Dan’s mum and dad encouraged him to take his time and preached that life had a way of bringing soulmates together when they’re meant to meet.

Dan believed his parents, he really did. They knew firsthand what having a soulmate should actually be like- not a statement, but another human being meant to be your life partner. Still, he felt a bit of an ache in his heart when he thought about how there was someone out there who was his perfect other half, and yet they were total strangers. When the last of his classmates got tired of bragging about their soulmates, they started to notice how Dan hadn’t ever mentioned finding his. By year 10, everyone knew Dan had no soulmate- yet, as he would always try to say, but it never helped to stop the whispers as he walked down the halls, and no matter how often he insisted that he was focusing on his own life for the time being, he still got anonymous paper balls thrown at him with scribbled insults and threats. He thought, many times, about just hunting down his soulmate to put the harassment to a rest, but stood true to his belief that fate would find a way. Now, in his last year of school before he was off to university- for God knows what- Dan was used to the cruelty. He spent his lunches in the library, and went straight home after school with his eyes to the ground and earbuds in to pretend away the disgust thrown his way. He was going to be deaf by 30, but Matt Bellamy and heavy guitar sounded much better than murmurs of, _“here comes the psycho.”_

Each night as he fell asleep, Dan took solace in the faint and comfortable heat his pendant radiated, like it was reminding him that there was someone else out there patiently waiting for fate to bring them together. It silently provided him with warmth, a wordless promise. Dan’s charm was the left side to a ferris wheel. It reminded him of the Manchester Eye.

 

Due to Dan’s… condition, of sorts, he didn’t exactly have a lot of friends. He did have one internet friend, though, named Phil. Phil was a pretty rad dude. He liked Muse, which was absolutely amazing, and he was just as much of a massive nerd as Dan. Another amazing thing about Phil was that he never seemed to care about Dan’s charm. From Dan’s constant complaining about the stigma against not prioritizing soulmates, Phil knew he hadn’t found his match yet. Unlike most people, though, he just… didn’t care. In fact, when Dan brought it up, Phil had very little to say at all. ‘Maybe Phil’s found his soulmate,’ Dan thought to himself,‘but doesn’t want to accidentally offend you or rub it in your face. Or maybe he hasn’t found his soulmate either, and doesn’t want anyone to know.’ Realistically, he knew that was unlikely- impossible, really. Phil was 22, and everyone always found their soulmate by then. Still, a boy could dream, and Phil wouldn’t be the worst person to wind up being his fate-determined partner for eternity. Dan was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard the familiar Skype ringtone coming from his laptop, the very object of his daydreaming appearing on the screen. Dan smiled to himself before moving to his desk and answering the call.

“Hey Dan!” Phil said in the cheery tone he always had. 

Dan chuckled softly; Phil may be 22, but he had the happiness of a 5 year old. A 5 year old that was also a dog. A 5 year old dog about to get a treat. “Hi! How are you?”

Dan and Phil chatted over skype, catching up on things happening in each other’s lives. In the middle of Phil recounting a harrowing experience with a strange woman at the store, Dan’s mother called for him, so with promises to chat again soon, Dan said his goodbyes to Phil and headed downstairs.

As he entered the living room, he saw his parents sitting on the couch together, like they were about to have a serious talk. 

“Dan, come sit with us,” his dad said, so he did. His eyes immediately focused on his parent’s charms, glowing from being so close. After a minute, Dan’s mum broke the silence. 

“Daniel, we know you have been working very hard in school and we are very proud of you for that.”

So it _was_ a serious talk, then.

Dan’s dad jumped in. “We thought, since you’re 18 and properly grown up now, that we could let you take a bit of a vacation, maybe do some soulmate hunting- just for a few days, and not too far. And we can foot the bill.”

“We obviously don’t mean to pressure you into it if you don’t want to,” his mum quickly added, “and if you’d rather keep working hard and making us proud without worrying about soulmates for now, that’s fine, too. But you worry us, Dan. You never have friends over, and you’re always cooped up in your room. Wouldn’t it be nice to travel a bit, meet new people, see the world?” Her voice was full of enthusiasm, hope, and maybe the slightest hint of pleading.

“We just want to see you happy,” his dad added in the same tone.

For a moment, Dan wasn’t sure whether to be offended, ecstatic, or an odd mix of both. His first instinct was to ask Phil what to do. 

Dan’s eyes widened. _Phil._ Phil lived up north, an impossible distance away it seemed, especially with his meager savings from the jobs he’d managed to have for a few weeks each. But now, that distance didn’t seem nearly as impossible.

Tentatively, he asked, “could I go visit somewhere up north?”

His parents didn’t seem to notice his sudden shift, and beamed at his question- probably just glad he hadn’t been horribly insulted. Together, they nodded quickly. “Anywhere, but preferably stay in Europe for now,” his mum said happily, and his dad chuckled at the end.

Dan smiled and hugged both of his parents tightly. “You’re literally the best parents ever,” he said, slightly muffled by their arms around him, but he knew they heard him just fine as his mother kissed the top of his head. Pulling away, he called, “I love you guys!” over his shoulder as he ran back upstairs to his room. His soulmate could wait. Dan was finally going to meet his best friend.


	2. puzzle pieces

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dan Howell lives in a world where when you are born you receive a necklace with a charm that’s half of a shape. Your soulmate has the other half. In a society perplexed by the idea of letting things occur naturally, Dan struggles to move at his own pace. Good thing he has his internet friend, Phil, to help him through it all.

_His soulmate could wait. Dan was finally going to meet his best friend._

Dan ran back to his room, nearly tripping on a couple of stairs on his way up. He quickly but carefully closed his door, trying to contain the excited energy he had and feeling all the while like a hot kettle trying not to whistle. Once his door was fully closed, he allowed himself a small, only slightly cringey dance of happiness. He was going to finally meet Phil. _Phil Lester,_ his favorite youtuber and his best friend. Just the thought made Dan’s stomach swarm with butterflies. Once Dan collected himself (somewhat) he tried to think of ways he could tell Phil that he was coming to Manchester. Dan was probably overthinking it, but being the perfectionist he is, he wanted to tell Phil in the perfect way.

As if on cue, Dan’s phone chimed with a text message from the very subject of his nervously excited thoughts.

Phil: Skype me around 7?

Dan smiled before typing his reply quickly.

Dan: Sounds like a plan Stan :D

Dan had about 2 hours before he could talk with Phil. In the meantime, Dan looked at prices for train tickets to Manchester online, and tried to get an idea of how much money two people would need to properly see the city. He bookmarked the page and shut his laptop as his mother called him down to dinner.

At the table, Dan’s father was the first to pose a conversation. “So Dan, have you thought about where exactly you’re going to go?”

Dan nodded his head, swallowing his bite of chicken before replying, “Yes, actually. I think I want to go to Manchester. I found some tickets earlier. I can show you them after dinner.” Dan tried to speak nonchalantly, like he’d decided on Manchester an hour ago, instead of months before.

Apparently, he only half-succeeded as his mum laughed. “Well, isn’t someone an eager beaver! Manchester’s a lovely place to visit. What made you decide on there?”

Dan quickly stuffed a forkful of potatoes in his mouth to give himself time to come up with an answer. Dan’s parents didn’t know about Phil. He’d had always planned on telling them, but never got around to it. It wasn’t like he was ashamed of his best friend; just the opposite, really. Phil was an increasingly successful internet personality, and Dan was just a kid who spammed him on Twitter until he responded. Dan would look like a desperate fan.

There was also the issue of what he actually felt towards Phil. He didn’t want to accept that he might have a crush, but… he was 18 now, and 18 year-olds didn’t tell their parents about their internet not-crushes. It’d be like raving about an amazing fanfic. There were certain, completely innocent, subjects that people just couldn’t tell their parents. It was too… intimate, or too personal, or too something. Telling his parents about Phil felt like sharing a secret they had no good in knowing.

So instead, he made up a vague reason. “Just a gut feeling. It would be cool to explore Manchester.” Dan put on a small smile to sell the ‘nervous but eager adventurer’ look.

While his younger brother gave him a funny look, his parents didn’t question him further. “If you’ve decided when to go, we can buy the tickets after dinner,” Dan’s father said, and there was pride laced in his words. As Dan glanced around the table, he saw his family’s eyes gleaming with happiness, and he felt a pang of guilt in his chest. His mum and dad were excited to support him on a mini-soul trip, happy to do what they could to make him the happiest he can be, and yet he planned on using their gift as a way to hang out with his friend for awhile. He didn’t want have to see their faces when he returned home alone. He didn’t want his family to ever stop being so happy and proud of him. For a moment, he wondered if he’d made a mistake. Maybe he really should use the trip to go somewhere far and foreign, and actually attempt to find his soulmate. He mulled over this while they all finished their meal, and told his dad noncommittally as they washed up that he hadn’t decided when yet; he’d have to ask Phil, he thought to himself, once he told him.

-

7:55 that night found Dan eagerly waiting on his bed with his laptop in front of him, skype loading on the screen. Almost as soon as the site loaded, his computer began ringing with an incoming skype call.

For a moment, Dan was nervous. He was going to tell Phil that he was coming to Manchester. That thought scared Dan for some reason. How would Phil react? Would he be okay with it? What if he’d imagined they were better friends than they really were? What if Phil was actually a terrible person with a pile of bodies in his basement? What if a million other things that were somehow all Dan’s new worst fears, but all the while his computer rang with the skype call, and he realized he was going to miss the call if he didn’t accept it. Pushing his paranoia aside, he selected the video icon.

Phil’s familiar smile took a moment to appear, pixelated but still heart-stuttering. “Hey Dan!” Phil said softly, and if Dan melted a just a bit at his tone, well, the poor resolution would probably hide it.

“Hi Phil.” Dan said quietly, so his family downstairs wouldn’t hear. He absentmindedly chewed his lip, and Phil watched the anxious movement with softening eyes and head tilted in question.

Using the same tone but with more assurance, Phil spoke. “Something wrong, Dan? You seem off.” Phil gave a slight smile, and Dan nearly forgot his worries entirely.

“Yeah i’m fine, it’s just-“ Dan took a breath. “-Can i ask you something?” Dan asked tentatively, looking down. 

“Yeah, anything,” Phil replied cheerfully. 

He took a moment to remember that this was his best friend, and that wouldn’t be ruined by taking away the ease of a screen to eternally hide behind. “Well… how would you feel if I came to Manchester?” Dan finally asked.

Phil’s eyes widened, shining with cautious hope, and he excitedly asked, “Are you serious? Could you?”

Dan nodded slowly. “My parents offered to pay for a small trip for me as a birthday present, being 18 and all.”

Though the image was low-quality, Dan could tell Phil was practically glowing with the strain of holding in so much joy. “Dan, that would be amazing!”

200 miles apart, the two boys sat on their beds, faces aglow with the light of their screens in front of them as they talked animatedly about anything they could until the younger drifted off in the middle of his sentence. Phil chuckled to himself as he watched his friend succumb to sleep, allowing himself a moment to appreciate how content Dan looked, face awkwardly pressed into his blankets as it was. Phil ended the call and switched off his light to get some rest, too. He laid in bed, lured to sleep as he was every night by the familiar faint warmth of his pendant- a charm like half of a ferris wheel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whew! there’s chapter 2! sorry for the delay, i was having extreme procrastination with it but i finally got it done! hope you enjoy this chapter and i’ll try to get chapter 3 out soon! <3


End file.
